The Labor enquirer., 1887-07-23
COMING HOME TO ROOsT.

In Swinton's paper of last Saturday we read
this.
A correspondent who has the opportunity
of seeing some things from the inside, sends
us word that the conduct of the superinten-
dent OF the Brooklyn elevated railroad, which
drove the engineers and firemen of that com
pany out on strike last Tuesday, @as but the
beginning Of a widespread attempt to under
mine the "Brotherhoods" which control these
and the locomotive firemen form two of the
most powerful trades unions in the country,
both of which are exceedingly conservative"
and both Of which make virtue Of standing
aloof from all other labor organizations. Chief
Arthur, of the former body, is especially noted
for his friendly attitude towards the corpora
tons, and for his championship Of order, ar
bltration, Cancellation and respectability. He
has often been loudly praised by Chauncey
Depew, Jay Gould, Colonel Hahn, and Others
of their kidney, who profess friendship for his
organization, and he has many times rendered
them such services as those which proved SO
valuable in the Southwestern railroad strike of
the spring Of last year.
Yet there is no doubt that some of the cor
pOrations are restive even under Chief Ar.
thurs "Brotherhood." They do not like the
terms which it imposes upon them. They
believe in the "fret.Sheb" theory which has
lately won so many successes in so many
trades. They desire to hire whom they
please, under such conditions as they lay
down, for such wages as they prescribe, with
out any outside interference, even from the
mild-mannered Arthur. AS Colonel Martin,
the superintendent Of the Brooklyn Elevated
road, said last Tuesday: "The long and
short of the matter is that the company mean
to operate their road without dictation from
the Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers,
and the strikers may as we'll understand it
now as at any other time" This is an unex-
pected note Of defiance, and, however the
''te.up" be settled for the moment, it is full of
significance. This superintendent has merely
blurted out thought which is in the heart OF
other corporations beside his own. He was
hunting for non.unionist engineers even while
he uttered it.
We apprehend, therefore, that the "Broth.
erhood" may soon find itself set upon lust as
other labor organizations have been. We
showed three weeks ago by numerous exam
Piles, that the moneyed corporations have re-
Gently displayed as strong an antagonism to
the trades unions as to the order of the K. of
L., and that it is labor organization in every
form which they are trying to destroy. How
ever conservative, or conciiatory, or respect
able, or timid, or servile, such an organization
may be, it is in its very nature foe to the
capitalist system. The enemies of labor or
ganization have, within the past eighteen
months, tackled many an adversary, and
"downed" not few Of them, as Superinten.
dent Martin boasts he is going to down the
Brotherhood.
In movement to secure democracy Nature
herself will not tolerate imperialism. The
events Of the last few years ought to show this
clearly. Denis Keaney fell because Of per.
sonal ambition linked with corruption, the
"Old Man Eloquent" and "Young- Man with
Spectacles" alike touer on their thrones.
Chief Arthur alone was secure upon his seat
OF power. He too, however, will fall and
with him all Of his followers who preach up
any aristocracy whether of intellect or occu.
patton among the slaves of wages.
Nature is just and events do not err.